


Those Good ol' Boys

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: Supernatural, The Dukes of Hazzard (TV)
Genre: Broken Bones, Car Accidents, Gen, Hurt Bo Duke, Hurt Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Seizures, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 02:38:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3273623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Duke meets Winchester in the sleepy community of Hazzard, but danger lurks beneath the surface and they may not make it out alive. Is it a vision, or Sam's worst nightmare? Major Sam and Bo whumpage. Protective and pissed off Dean and Luke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sam sat bolt upright in bed, gasping wildly as the last fragments of dreaming scattered in his brain. It had been so real. Dean sat in the other bed, watching him as his breathing slowed to normal and his heart stopped pounding.

"Dude, you ok?" He asked, sleep slurring his words.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just another dream."

"Huh, must have been a doozy. Clowns or midgets?" Dean cocked an eyebrow at his younger brother, smirking slightly.

Go back to sleep, Dean." Turning away from his brother, he lay his head back on the pillow and listened as Dean's breathing gradually deepened into sleep. Sleep had never been farther away as images continued to flash through his brain; a bright orange car with a confederate flag on top and a large 01 painted on the door; an old man in a bright red ball cap, tears streaming down his face, and a weather-beaten road sign that read "Welcome to Hazzard." But more disturbing than that was the image of polished knives reflecting pitch black eyes and a blond man, his torn, blue t-shirt covered in blood, swaying slowly as he hung from the rafters of an old, abandoned barn.

Sam lay on his back, exhaustion pouring over him in waves, eyes burning so fiercely it hurt to close them. Sleep was just beyond his grasp. With a sigh, he crawled out of bed, pulling a hoodie over his bare chest and sitting at the table in his boxers. He pulled his laptop toward him and powered it up. He sa there and read until Dean woke up again at 8:00. He glanced over as his brother lazily stretched, bloodshot eyes completely serious. "I found our next hunt."

"Oh thank God." Dean leapt out of bed. "We have been stuck here for far too long."

"It has only been three days since we wrapped up our last hunt." Sam said.

"Yeah, and what was it? A simple salt and burn with no injuries to recuperate from and no angry relatives or ghostly friends knocking on our door. I am about to go completely insane." He pulled on his clothes and shoes. "I'll get breakfast, you pack up and you can tell me about it in the car."

Twenty minutes later, they were gone, leaving nothing but traces of salt in the doorway and on the windowsill and one devil's trap under the doormat.

"Dude, burgers for breakfast?" Sam grumbled as he dug through the greasy paper bag on the seat beside him.

"Hey, if you don't want it. . ." Dean's voice trailed off as he took a huge mouthful of his double bacon cheeseburger, extra bacon, extra cheese and extra onions. A massive glob of mustard dropped onto his chin and hung there quivering as he chewed, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's.

Sam pulled out his cellphone, pretending to check his messages before snapping a picture, snickering to himself as he pulled out his chicken burger and unwrapped it.

"Wha' a' we 'ookin' for any-ow?' Dean mumbled around yet another massive mouthful.

Sam swallowed before answering. "It is definitely a demon this time. Omens have been showing up in Hazzard county for the last three weeks and six young women between the ages of 20 and 25 have gone missing, no bodies, no ransom notes, no clues left behind but massive amounts of sulphur on the windowsill. Besides, if I am dreaming about it, there are demons involver, maybe even THE demon."

"That just sweetens the pot. I have never heard of Hazzard county. How far away are we?" Dean asked.

"About five hours the way you drive, seven for normal people. And not a lot of people know where it is. It doesn't show up on most maps, but don't worry, I will get you there.

It was early afternoon when they pulled into the dusty little town known as Hazzard.

"Dude, this is the town that time forgot," Dean said, holding his cellphone out the window searching for a signal and having no luck. "Those gas pumps have to be from the early 70's and look at all the white picket fences."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Its not so bad. You want to check out the local law enforcement first?"

"No way man, those burgers were hours ago. I saw a place called the Boar's Nest on the way in. Let's eat!" Dean drove around the town square and back out the way they had come. "What do you want to bet they have red and white checkered tablecloths and peanuts in dishes? This is so old school. What?" Dean stopped as Sam grabbed his arm in one large fist.

"Look at that car." Sam gestured toward the other end of the parking lot.

"Wow, '69 Dodge Charger. Looks to be in pretty good condition. Someone in this town has good taste, although why they would want to paint it that god-awful orange is beyond me."

"Dean," Sam stopped his brother again as he continued on inside. "That is also the car from my dream."

"Well then," Dean replied. "Maybe we need to start by meeting the owner."

The bar was about half full of the lazy afternoon crowd. They didn't look up from their cards when the strangers came in.

Sam and Dean pulled out their chairs and took a seat at one of the corner tables where they could watch the room unobserved.

A leggy brunette in very short shorts sauntered up to the table and smiled down at them. "What can I get for y'all today?"

Dean smiled his most charming grin. "Can I get a menu. . .and maybe your number too?"

The girl laughed. 'Now I know y'all ain't from around here, Sugar! Special of the day is fried chicken and homemade Apple Pie. If ya got no objections, I'll bring it on out."

"Sounds great, and your number?" Dean dropped one eyelid in a slow suggestive wink.

"I reckon you'll have to get that from my cousins, those two strong, handsome young men at the bar."

Dean turned to look at them. The blond one with his back to them easily rivalled Sam for height and the shorter, dark one moved like a boxer. Dean contemplated it for a moment before shaking his head and facing Sam again. "No sense in getting in a fist fight until after I have had my pie," he muttered. Sam snickered.

The girl was soon back with their order. " So where are you from, Cutie?" She asked, putting her hand on Sam's shoulder.

"W-we're uh. . .FBI," Sam stuttered.

"Yeah," Dean cut in smoothly. "Agents Paige and Plant. We are here to investigate the missing girls, although I can see we might have a more pressing case to attend to."

"Oh, and what's that, Sweet Thing?" She asked with her hand still holding Sam's shoulder.

"Those shorts," Dean said gravely. "They're practically criminal."

The girl laughed it off and, still addressing Sam, said, "My name is Daisy Duke."

"It would be," Dean muttered under his breath. Sam shot him a warning look.

"Enjoy your meal, y'hear? And if there is anything I can do to help out with your investigation, y'all let me know." With one wink at Sam, she turned and was heading back to the bar.

"Oh, I will." Dean's voice lowered half a tone and took on a faint hint of huskiness. Sam stomped on his foot under the table.

"Do you have to do that?" he whispered fiercely.

"Do what?" Dean asked innocently.

"Make everything sound so. . .dirty. Or is it just that you couldn't bear the fact that she was more into me?"

Dean just grinned. "Only in your dreams pretty boy. You know, this might not be such a bad place after all." He started shovelling his food in with gusto, enjoyment growing with each bite. By the time he got to the pie, Dean was in heaven.

"Sam, I am going to marry that girl," he said as he inhaled his last forkful, stopping in midchew as a large calloused hand came down on his shoulder.

"Better men than you have tried and failed." The deep voice belonged to the brunette man that had been standing by the bar.

"And how do you know that?" Dean asked, grinning cheekily.

"Well, do you see a wedding ring on her finger?"

"No," Dean smirked. "How do you know they were better men?"

The stranger laughed and sat down. "My name is Luke Duke and that there is my cousin Bo. Bo, c'mere!" He shouted across the room. Sam turned to look as the man strode over and could feel his face turn white. He had found the car, he had found the man and now he had to find the Demon before Bo's future came to pass.


	2. Chapter 2

After a short conversation with the two strangers in town, Bo and Luke went over to the bar to have a little chat with Daisy.

"What do you think, cuz?" Daisy asked Luke.

"Well," Luke drawled. "They sure as hell ain't no FBI. I can spot a lawman a mile off, but I don't think they's crooks neither."

"My feelings exactly," Daisy replied. "They sure are mysterious and secretive, but I trust them, especially the tall one. I think they are on our side."

"Just the same," Bo said. "We should keep an eye on them; help 'em with the investigation, just in case."

.~o()o~.

"What do you think?" Sam asked.

"Well, if this really is the man from your vision, then we want him close. They're locals, we will tell them we need someone that knows their way around. If they think they're helping, they will probably stick around. They seem like the good 'ol boy type." Dean winked at his brother. "Won't pass by a friend in need without offering a helping hand.

Sam shook his head. "At least we will be able to cover more ground. We will have to split up."

"Nope, no way." Dean interrupted. "Every time we get involved in something to do with this demon, you end up getting hurt. I am not letting you out of my sight."

"Don't be ridiculous Dean. The four of us hunting together would be totally redundant. I don't like it any more than you do, but we have to keep an eye on them too. They have no idea what is out there. This is much bigger than anything they have faced and it will get them killed if we allow them to face it alone. You go with Luke and I will go with Bo."

"Again, no way. If your vision is accurate, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, then Bo is the target. The demon will be looking for you. You go with Luke and I will take the blonde Bull's Eye."

"I don't need you to protect me Dean. Besides, if I get another vision, it may show me how to save him and this way we cut out the middle man."

"Give me this one Sam. Between finding out this demon has plans for you and children like you, and Gordon coming after you, I would really rather you didn't try to put yourself directly in the line of fire."

Sam glared at his brother but conceded.

"And," Dean continued. "You will be checking in every half hour at least, letting me know if you see anything demonic."

"Relax Mom," Sam scoffed. "I'm a good little boy. I won't take candy from strangers and I ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the street."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Well," Dean stood. "Let's go see what they think before flying off the handle. Come on Samantha."

.~o()o~.

"You know we are going to have to split up," Bo said.

"I didn't think of that. This varmint would be so much easier to track down without getting outsiders involved. Besides, I would feel better if we were watching each other's backs."

"I don't like this anymore than you do, cuz, but you and I know the land. We know all the back roads and safe passages through Utchee Swamp. These men have no idea what they are dealing with. I'll take the short one with me in the General and you can tag along in what ever piece of crap car those 'Feds' are driving."

.~o()o~.

Dean, Sam, Luke and Bo all sat down at the table in the corner to discuss the next step.

"I think we should go talk to the local authorities, see what information they have on these killings. They might have some important leads to check out," Sam said.

"No way," Luke jumped in. "If you want to get anything done in this town, you want to stay out of the way of the law. Boss will probably think there is a reward and then we will have to focus on constantly shaking Rosco and Enos and we will probably get thrown in jail. Its nothing we can't handle, but it sure is annoying."

"Fine then, what do you suggest?" Sam replied.

"You and me will sneak into the jail and snatch the file and Dean and Bo can go and keep the cops occupied," Luke grinned.

"Whoa, what do you mean occupied?" Dean asked.

"Well shoot," Bo spoke up. "We'll just run one of Rosco's speed traps and lead him and Enos on a merry chase. Once these two have what we need, we can jump the creek and be on our way. Ha ha!"

"We better not be planning to jump a creek in my baby," Dean scowled.

"No, we will leave that to the General."

Dean sighed in relief. "That leaves her in your hands Sam. You better be good to her."

"Yeah, you want me to pinky swear?" Sam smirked.

"Shut up Sam!"

"Alright, first thing we need to do is get you a portable CB radio from the farm and then we are good to go."

At that, they all stood and left the bar, the thrill of the hunt already coursing through their veins.


	3. Chapter 3

In a matter of minutes, the Impala was set up with a CB of its own and Luke and Sam were crouched in the bushes outside the police station waiting for the signal. They were barely in position before the General came careening around the corner. In less than a minute, two cop cars were pulling out, lights flashing and sirens going.

Luke put his hand on Sam's shoulder and said, "Let's go." They walked nonchalantly up to the doors and stepped inside. "This way to the office," Luke said.

Before long they stood in front of three sets of filing cabinets, every single drawer marked M for Miscellaneous. "How the hell are we supposed to find anything in here?" Sam grumbled.

"I know it's a mess, but Enos is in charge of filing and we are not sure whether or not he really knows the alphabet. Start with the emptiest drawers first, they are most likely to carry new files. There have been six murders since September 16th and the files will all be under the names of the girls."

"Do you know the names of the girls?" Sam asked.

"That is the weird thing about these murders," Luke replied. "No one actually knows who was taken, just the families and the police and they aren't talking. We can't even figure it out by who we haven't seen lately because every family with daughters has locked them away. I have no idea how it could be a secret in a small town like Hazzard, but it has become the only successfully kept secret since Jedediah Higgard passed away in 1932 and his widow kept collecting his pension until she died three years later."

After that, they worked in silence flipping through the files, occasionally pulling one out to rifle through it before placing it back in. In this way they worked through all three cabinets and they had nothing to show for it.

"This isn't right. Enos' system sucks, but he wouldn't leave something like this out. So where are the files?" Luke scratched his head as he and Sam stared at the drawer they had just finished going through. It was full to the bursting, but contained no mention of the murdered girls. Suddenly Sam caught sight of single sheet of paper, crumpled and shoved down the side of the drawer. He carefully pulled it out. It was stuck pretty tight so it took a lot of wiggling and short tugs, but he finally got it out in one piece. All it contained was a list of six names, all girls and all in the right age range.

"That has to be it. Let's go back to your car and signal Bo to come back in."

.~o()o~.

Dean was just about ready to shoot himself in the head. They had been driving all over the county for about half an hour but it felt like days. The cop cars had been just behind them the entire time, and usually Dean would have relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the speed, but he was getting a little sick of Bo's running commentary on the high speed chase.

"Alright, we're going to take Maple Creek Lane and then pull a quick right toward the mill pond," Bo chattered on.

If I cared, I would ask, Dean thought to himself as Bo, with a big grin and a laugh, proceeded to do exactly what he had said.

"YAHOO!" Bo let out another ear-splitting yell. Dean cringed and wished it was all over.

Finally, a voice crackled over the CB. "Breaker, breaker, Black Sheep to Lost Sheep. We have all we are going to get. Lose the Big Bad Wolf and head back to the farm. Over."

"Right Luke, losing Rosco now! Ha ha! Over!" Bo looked over at Dean and the look in his eye sent a shiver right through Dean's core. "Time to fly!"

Dean gulped as they turned directly toward the creek bed and Bo let loose with a shout that outshone them all. Dean felt an uncomfortable lurching sensation in the pit of his stomach and he made the mistake of looking out the window and seeing the ground much too far below them. Then he just closed his eyes and tried to breathe as the floating sensation continued. They hit with a jerk that rattled up his spine. He tasted blood in his mouth from when he had bitten his tongue. He kept his eyes closed long enough for his breathing to slow and then peeked at Bo.

Bo was still laughing and chattering away, all hyped up on adrenaline. Forget shooting himself in the head, it was time to give Bo a good old salt and burn!

They were pulling into the farmyard in less than ten minutes. Dean crawled out of the car as soon as it quit moving and walked on shaky legs over to Sam.

"Dude, I concede. I am not getting back in that car with him," he said as soon as he reached Sam's side.

"What changed your mind?" Sam laughed.

Dean scowled. "That boy is just way too happy. Everything's all, 'YAHOO' and 'Let's jump the friggin' creek.' I am not climbing into that death trap beside that maniac."

Sam grasped Dean's shoulder and looked square into his eyes, putting on his best psychiatrist face. "Was it because you were flying? Did it force you to face your fears?"

Dean shrugged his hand off angrily. "At least planes have wings. They are supposed to fly. Cars are meant to stay on the ground."

"And how does this make you feel?" Sam spoke calmly and quietly, barely holding back his grin.

"Shut up Sam!" Dean growled and turned to look at Luke. "Whatcha got?"

Luke handed him the torn piece of paper containing six names and a handwritten note that said, Still looking for connection to the Duke boys. Dean raised one eyebrow and looked at him.

"That's all you found?" Dean was incredulous.

"Unfortunately, yes. It seems that the police have buried this one and they want it to stay buried. And by the way, you two don't fool me one bit," Luke replied.

"Oh yeah?" Dean said.

"I know ya ain't FBI, so what are ya?"

"Let's just say my brother and I travel around, looking for criminals and we stop them." Sam jumped in.

"Brothers, huh? I would never have guessed. So are you bounty hunters then?"

"I guess that's as good a name as any," Dean said. "But if you don't mind, we really would like to keep moving."

"If it makes any difference, we trust you more knowin' that you're not the law," Bo chimed in, grinning again.

Dean laughed and clapped them on the shoulder. "Men after my own heart!"

"Hate to break up this moment of male bonding, but I really think we should decide where to go next," Sam said.

"Ok," Luke said. "We have the names of the victims now, so lets go pay their families a visit. Sam and I will go for the east side and talk to the families of Mary-Sue Jenkins, Bobby-Jo Mahoney and Bessie-Lou Payne. Bo, you and Dean will go west with Elisabeth-Anne Montgomery, Jennie-Lee Mitchell and Clementine Rogers."

"Ok, except for one small change. Sammy is going to go with Bo and I am going to be back behind the wheel of my baby where I belong. And don't you dare say another word, Sam." Sam stood there with his mouth open for a split second, then snickered. "And you still need to check in every hour, if not every half an hour."

Sam sighed. "Love you too, Mom. Let's go, Bo," he said as he walked away.

When they reached the car, Sam found the first flaw in this plan. "How the heck am I supposed to fit myself in there?" he complained.

"Just get your legs through and the rest will just slide right in," Bo chuckled. "Watch." He jumped feet first through the window and was sitting behind the wheel in a matter of moments. Sam stood looking at him jealously.

"It's the legs that are the problem." Sam grumbled. He picked up one foot and stepped inside but the other leg proved more problematic. "I don't think legs are supposed to bend this way," he mumbled to himself before finally, awkwardly sliding into the passenger seat.

They were mostly silent until they got out of town.

"Alright, so what is the closest one?" Sam asked.

"That would be Mary-Sue's." And with a loud 'YAHOO' they were turning right down a dirt road in a huge cloud of dust, going well over the speed limit.

Again they sat silently for a while. Bo was the first to speak up. "Brother's, huh?" At Sam's short nod, he continued. "How did you get into the bounty hunting business?"

"If you don't mind," Sam said. "I will wait until we are better acquainted before sharing my life story."

They lapsed back into an uncomfortable silence. The dirt road continued on before them, clear and straight for many miles, which is why it came as shock when the orange front end crumpled like tin foil and they flipped end over end exactly as if they had hit a low brick wall.

Sam reached up to protect his head as the roof rushed toward him and felt the agonizing pop and wrench of dislocation in both his elbow and his shoulder. His head met the roof of the General with a sharp crack and then everything became a blur of flashing white lights and crushing, tearing metal. He yelled aloud in fear and pain and thought he could hear an answering yell from the driver's seat. Then his world slowly shrank away to blackness.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sam came to, he was lying on the ceiling of the General. He hadn't been out for long. The dust was still settling on the road.

He tried to push himself up but every part of him screamed in protest. His left arm was swelling badly and when he reached up to scratch an itch by his eye, he pulled his hand away covered in blood.

"Bo!" he called as he tried to roll himself over enough to check on the other man. Bo lay very still. Blood covered his face from a deep cut on his forehead. Pieces of glass were wedged in his shoulders, turning the blue and yellow of his shirt into a mass of red, but far worse than that was his leg, trapped between the steering wheel and the dash with a very obvious extra bend between his knee and his ankle.

Sam again tried to push himself up, but his stomach revolted and he threw up on the glass covered interior of the car, the sour stench of vomit mingling with the sickly sweet smell of blood and the musty smell of gasoline.

"Gotta get out of here," Sam whispered. "She's gonna blow." But his strength was gone and he could do nothing more than lie there and hope his death would be quick.

Footsteps sounded softly by his head and a face peered through the window, mouth unsmiling and eyes black as coal. "Well met, Sam Winchester, and with Bo Duke as well. What a crazy random happenstance."

Sam growled through clenched teeth. "Go to hell."

"Been there, done that," the demon giggled mirthlessly before placing its hand on Sam's head.

Sam's body went rigid, then was gripped by violent seizures, but instead of losing consciousness, he remained completely aware as his body continued to shake. Blackness beckoned him but he could not succumb to its sweetness. There was a barrier that stood between.

His arm was in screaming agony as it jerked around involuntarily and he had bitten his tongue. Blood and foam filled his mouth, threatening to choke him. It poured out over his chin, mixing with the blood that already painted the inside of the General Lee.

He could feel his flesh parting as his back and shoulders were dragged repeatedly over the broken glass on the metal ceiling, some pieces working their way in so deeply he feared they would never be able to remove them.

His head slammed repeatedly against the metal, each crack sending lightning bolts of pain through his brain until he was crying, praying, begging and pleading for just one moment of oblivion.

He heard Bo crying out his name in a pained voice, saw the beginnings of a fireball and felt the blistering heat begin to wash over him and then he was in cool darkness, still and silent. The shackle that bound him to his consciousness was finally unlocked and Sam knew no more.

.~o()o~.

An hour and a half later, Dean cursed violently at the unresponsive CB. "Damn it, Sam, I told you to check back." They had already been to the houses of three of the victims and had discovered nothing new. As Dean pounded the seat beside him in frustration, the CB crackled to life.

"Breaker, breaker, I need an ambulance at Pine Creek Road. The duke boys done been in a terrible accident. Over."

"Where is that?" Dean yelled, ready to spring into action.

"I can get us there real fast if you let me drive." Luke said, outwardly calm, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him.

Dean didn't even think, but immediately got out of the driver's seat, letting Luke slide over, threw himself over the hood and climbed into the passenger seat. Luke barely gave him time to get in before he was roaring down the road toward the east side of town.

They leapt out when they reached the scene, pulling up next to the police car. Dean leaned against the hood of the Impala, struggling to keep from puking his guts out.

"Enos, d-did anyone get out?" Luke stuttered to the deputy who stood watching in horror.

"Luke! You're alive!" Enos cried, almost grabbing him by the shoulders, but settling for a hearty handshake.

"Enos, my cousin, did he get out?" Luke asked again, terrified of the answer.

"I don't know Luke, I can't get close enough to tell."

Luke crumpled to the road. He and Dean watched in horror as angry flames licked at the twisted, blackened metal that was the remains of the General Lee.

They stood there helplessly as screaming sirens took shape and became flashing lights and shiny emergency vehicles. The fire was soon out and the fire chief came over to talk to Enos.

"The good news is, there are no human remains in the vehicle."

"Oh thank God," Luke said in relief.

The chief noticed him. "Luke, you weren't in the vehicle? Was your cousin alone then?"

Luke shook his head. "He was with this man's brother. You said that was the good news. Is there bad news?"

"Well, its all very odd. There is no way they should have made it out. The evidence suggests they were hurt, and hurt bad. It doesn't look like they made it out under their own power. I called the Tri-County Hospital, but no one has come in all day. If someone rescued them, they didn't get them any medical attention. It looks like they were taken, but I don't know anyone around here who would have done such a thing."

"Sam's pretty strong, how do you know he didn't get himself out?" Dean finally managed to speak.

"Come," the man beckoned. He brought them to the windows and Dean saw what he had been too distracted to notice earlier. "These are drag marks," the man continued. Dean's stomach clenched as he saw the large splotches of drying blood mixed with the dust and traces of a yellow mineral on the ground. Dean didn't have to smell it to know it would be sulphur.

"On the driver's side, we found bone fragments," the fire chief showed them, picking up what looked like three thick white toothpicks, stained with red. "We had better find them soon. I don't think we will have long."

Dean was off, following the drag marks into the grove of trees by the side of the road until they magically disappeared without a trace. He yelled in frustration and pounded his fist against the nearest tree until his knuckles were bloody and torn. Then he did throw up, leaving his dinner dripping down the side of the tree as he continued to heave long after his stomach was empty. He gradually became aware that Luke was standing beside him, not touching him or speaking, just waiting.

Dean straightened up and looked Luke in the eye, the same grim expression on their faces and the same light of battle in their eyes.

"That son of a bitch took my brother and I will not rest until I send his ass back to hell."


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was dragged reluctantly out of unconsciousness. His eyes fluttered open and then closed again immediately as pain flooded over him. He fought to slip back into the blackness, but the wall was back, keeping him awake.

His arms were shackled to a beam in the ceiling and his toes barely brushed the floor. The dislocation had been greatly reduced, but the swelling and bruising stretched all along his arm and halfway across his chest. Each tiny movement caused it to burn and throb.

Then he looked across the room and saw Bo, trussed up in similar fashion and trying to balance himself as much as possible on one leg.

"Sam," Bo cried out. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm fine," Sam said through gritted teeth. "Takes more than that breed of hellspawn to take me down."

"Hellspawn?" a smooth oily voice spoke from the darkest corner of the barn. "After I pulled you from a burning car and showed you all my hospitality. That's not very charitable neighbour." A short, fat man in a white suit stepped out of the shadows.

"Boss Hogg," Bo hissed through his teeth. " You have gone too far. You won't escape justice this time."

"Boss Hogg?" the man slowly walked over to where Bo hung. "I guess that is all your uneducated eyes would see, but it isn't him, just his meat suit." He calmly drew back his foot and kicked Bo's good leg out from under him. He put out his broken leg in reflex and all his weight landed square on the injured limb. His body arched in pain and he screamed in agony.

"You see now what I can do," Boss whispered as Bo's thrashing calmed and he hung limply from his restraints, whimpering. "You can feel it just beyond you, sweet oblivion, ready to embrace your pain-filled soul. You can almost touch it, almost taste, but something stands in the way, just the tiniest distance that keeps you from the only escape available to you."

"Christo," Sam whispered in an effort to shift the focus from Bo. Boss whirled to face him, eyes black and lifeless. Sam relaxed as Boss left Bo alone and walked toward him.

"I haven't forgotten about you," Boss chuckled. He reached out his hand toward Sam. Sam struggled to get the momentum to kick him away but he couldn't find purchase on the floor and it just made him sway slightly, lighting fires in his shoulder.

Boss placed his hand in the very centre of Sam's chest and Sam was once again trapped in the throes of vicious seizures and unconsciousness was once more walled away, unattainable.

He did not cry out this time. He could see his enemy. His enemy had a name and a face and Sam was determined it would never see another moment of weakness.

Dean would come, Dean always came, but as his tormented body jerked and swung and agony like a ravenous beast tore into every limb, he wondered if Dean would come soon enough.

.~o()o~.

Luke and Dean sped back into town.

"We need to get more people out," Luke said, holding onto the door with a white-knuckled grip in an effort to keep himself under control. "I'll organize a search party as soon as we get back into town."

"No," Dean said firmly. "We can't bring in anyone else. It's too dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" Luke yelled. "It is far more dangerous for Bo and Sam. "what if we are too late because we cannot cover enough ground. Those bone fragments were found on the driver's side and I know he wouldn't let Sam drive the General Lee. Hell, half the time, he won't let me drive it and I own half. My cousin is hurt bad and we need to get to him soon."

"I know," Dean said, his earlier panic having been reforged into steely determination. "There was a lot of blood on the passenger side too. But the thing that took them. . .it wasn't human and the more people we involve, the more people will get hurt."

"What do you mean it isn't human?"

"My brother and I, we don't hunt down criminals and fugitives. We stick to game that's a little more. . .unnatural. This son of a bitch happens to be a demon."

"A demon," Luke whispered. "You're sure?"

"Yes," Dean replied coldly. "And we need to find out who its inhabiting and where it is hiding, and fast, or we will never see Sam and Bo again."

.~o()o~.

The seizures finally stopped and Sam hung still, trying to breathe deeply as his head cleared and the sharp agony retreated to a dull pulse that echoed through his entire body like a heartbeat, strong and steady.

"Still awake?" Boss chuckled to himself. "Of course you are. I want you aware for this next part. He stepped closer to Sam, who realized that this demon's eyes were a deep shade of purple instead of the black he had originally thought.

"What. . .do you want?" Sam rasped through clenched teeth.

"What I have always wanted. Power! Specifically, your's to command"

"I have no power," Sam whispered.

"Don't lie to me boy. I know about your visions. I know about the moment of telekinesis and, most importantly, I know of your potential"

"Fine," Sam said. "You have me. Let Bo go. You don't need to hurt him anymore."

"Wrong," Boss giggled gleefully. "When you were given your powers by the one known as the Yellow Eyed Demon, you were also given natural defences against control and possession by other demons. These defences can only be broken by your death, but if you die, your powers die with you. You see my dilemma?" He waited for Sam to reply, but Sam refused to give him the satisfaction. Boss shrugged and continued on.

"Imagine my delight when I found a way to kill those defences and leave the powers intact. All I need to do is kill you and have someone ready as a vessel for your power."

"Oh is that all? Well, be my guest. Anything else you want? My head on a silver platter? My firstborn child?" Sam laughed sarcastically, trying to channel his inner Dean.

"Your bravado, while amusing, is not convincing. And this is the culmination of years of planning. First, I had to find the right vessel, one of perfect innocence."

"Innocent?" Bo snorted breathlessly. "do you know my reputation in Hazzard?"

"Innocence, surprisingly, has nothing to do with virginity. . .or the lack thereof. I needed someone who still believed in good and justice, one who hadn't had all their hope pounded out of them by the world. I would have preferred your cousin, him being the more. . .intelligent, but he saw too much of the world when he was in the Marines."

Boss continued on, enjoying the sound of his voice as it echoed in the empty barn. "Then of course, I had to work out the timing and plan a most complicated ritual. I had to make sure your essence would follow the correct path and that it would so at the moment Bo was ready to receive it. Plus, I had to find the ingredients. I can't just run to superstore for the blood of six virgins, you know. Then, Sam, I had to get you here and you and Bo together. I had to set the perfect trap. Of course afore-mentioned virgins provided the means to do so. Then you and your brother walked right into it without a second thought."

"Stop it," Sam cried out in anguish, guilt flooding over him like a tsunami.

"But I digress," Boss said. "What I really should do now is show you my machine." With all the flair of a Shakespearean actor, he grabbed an extension cord and plugged it in. Floodlights illuminated the shadowed half of the barn. Sam and Bo gasped in horror.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean pulled up to the farm in the Impala, Luke sitting stunned in the passenger seat. In the ten minutes it had taken to reach the Duke farm, Dean had filled him in on the nature of their job and the story of the Yellow Eyed Demon. His world was effectively shattered.

They sat silently in the car outside as an old, white haired man ran out the door, yanked open the passenger door and pulled Luke out into his arms.

"Luke!" he shouted. "You're alright! Someone said there was an accident and I couldn't get ahold of you or your cousin. Thank heaven's you weren't hurt." He released Luke and peered into the back seat of the Impala. "Where's Bo? Is he waiting for Cooter at the accident? What'd you do? Blow another tire?"

"Uncle Jesse," Luke gently pulled the old man back toward the house. "Maybe you should come inside and sit down."

"Now don't you Uncle Jesse me. I know you ain't telling me everything and you had better fess up right now. Who is this feller and what does he have to do with Bo?"

"Please Uncle Jesse," Luke said softly.

Uncle Jesse nodded and Dean followed them inside. "Now will you please tell me what has happened to Bo?"

Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking. "You already know there was an accident. What you don't know is that it was bad, real bad and Bo's been hurt."

"Well," Uncle Jesse quickly got to his feet. "Then we need to get over to Tri-County General as fast as we can!"

"He's not there. . .that is to say. . .someone's taken him. We don't know where he is."

"But you are fine!" Jesse whipped off his baseball cap and smacked Luke in the back of the head with it. "You musta been right there. How could you let someone take your injured cousin away when there is not a scratch on ya?"

"I wasn't there," Luke hung his head in shame. "I was with Dean on one side of town, Bo was with his brother Sam on the other. Sam is missing too. I know I shoulda been there. I'm sorry."

"Damn right you should have been there. How many times have I told you to keep him out of trouble. You know he doesn't think things through before he rushes in. Are you sure they are hurt? Maybe they had to run an errand suddenly and hitched a ride or got stranded somehow." Jesse's eyes slowly filled up with tears.

"We're sure. There were drag marks and blood. And we think Bo might have an open fracture. We. . .we found bone fragments."

Jesse dropped back into his armchair, misty eyes gazing out the window. "Luke, you had better get out there and get your cousin back or I will tan your hide."

"Uncle Jesse, we will get him back."

"Ok," Dean spoke for the first time since they got to the farm. "It will take too long to look in every place big enough or remote enough to hide two men, so we need to narrow things down. I am assuming you know a lot of the people around here."

"Basically everyone," Luke said.

"Good. Anyway, I suspect that since Bo is the target, it would pick someone close to you, either close friend or very involved enemy. Have any of these people had a sudden personality change, wardrobe change or any other kind of suspicious behaviour?"

"Old Mabel Breckinridge baked me a pie and she hasn't baked anything in twenty years. She came over all dolled up in her Sunday best and stinking of that perfume stuff," Uncle Jesse spoke up.

"That's not suspicious Uncle Jesse. Everyone knows she's sweet on you. She is just getting impatient and decided to step it up a notch."

"Durn fool woman," Uncle Jesse shuddered. "At least if we put her in jail, she couldn't watch me plow no more. I get the heebie-jeebies every time I see the flash of them binoculars."

"Right. Moving on," Dean said. "Is there anything else? I don't know how much time we have, but I shouldn't have to tell you that sooner is better."

"I don't know Dean," Luke put his head down on the table. "Its hard to think when you are worried."

Dean put his hand on Luke's shoulder and pulled him upright none too gently. "If you want to save Bo's life, you will," he spoke coldly.

At that moment, Daisy rushed in like a whirlwind, pouncing on Luke. "Enos told me what happened. I was so worried. Any word on Bo?"

"Not yet," Dean snapped. "And if you don't mind, we are trying out best to figure out who took him."

Daisy just looked at him, wounded. "You know I would do anything to get Bo back. And I hate to think of your handsome brother captured and hurt, so don't you dare yell at me!"

"Talk to Daisy like that again and you will be out on your ear. We can look for Bo ourselves if you won't be civil," Uncle Jesse scowled.

"Sorry," Dean muttered. "It's just. . .we need to find them soon. Just think harder, is there anyone who has been acting strangely?"

"Well Boss hasn't deducted anything from my tips in about three weeks, but everything else has been exactly the same," Daisy said, placing her hand gently on Dean's shoulder. He shrugged it away.

"Is that a big change on his part or is he another old Mabel, changing in the pursuit of unrequited love?" He scoffed.

"Boss lives for money. Everything he does is motivated by greed. I keep expecting him to tell me he is letting me keep my tips so he doesn't have to give me a pay check," Daisy spoke softly.

"But Boss wouldn't hurt Bo. Sure he would put him in jail and try to milk us for every cent we own, but he never would physically harm him," Jesse protested loudly. "I think he is a lot fonder of my boys than he pretends."

"That's something," Dean said. "But I am not sure if it is enough. Sam is the research guy. He always knows what questions to ask and what leads to follow. I am the one who charges in with guns blazing to save the day, but he starts us off."

"Well, we will just have to check it out and if we are wrong, we will start over."

"Don't you get it?" Dean shouted. "If we investigate and are wrong, it will be too late for Sam and Bo. There will be no starting over." He shoved himself away from the table and walked onto the porch, slamming the screen door behind him and breathing deeply. He couldn't let himself fall apart, not when his brother needed him.

At that moment, a hoarse voice crackled out of the CB. "Breaker, breaker, this is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. Bo? Luke? You out there?"

"Sheriff, this here's Luke. What do you need?" Luke snatched up the hand-held.

"I need help Luke. My little fat buddy's gone off his rocker and I think Bo's in danger," Rosco cried.

"That enough for you, Dean?" Luke asked grimly.

Dean nodded dangerously.

"Hold tight Rosco," Luke said. "We're coming to you."

.~o()o~.

After his initial, instinctive gasp, Sam had not made a sound, even though the sight that greeted his eyes was horribly gruesome. He ground his teeth together and willed back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him.

Bo was not so fortunate. He had vomited down his front as the sight was revealed, and now hung dejectedly from the chains, not even trying to hold back the whimpers that erupted every time his injured leg brushed the ground.

Until then, Sam had thought the reek of blood came only from him and Bo, but the all-encompassing stench came from the newly illuminated half of the barn. It looked like a slaughterhouse, broad swathes of drying blood and bits of torn flesh littered the ground under rough wooden structures with no apparent purpose, but he gazed upon the death that lay before him, patterns began to emerge. The blood was not in random splatters or splashes. Dark symbols were painted there, the dismembered corpses of six different women scattered therein, completing the signs that made his blood run cold.

A low chuckle built to a maniacal laughter that echoed in the nearly empty barn. "I think Sam begins to see," Boss said between fits of giggles. "Don't worry Bo, it will all become clear."


	7. Chapter 7

Dean and Luke reached the police station in record time. Rosco was tied to Boss' barber chair. He had managed to get one arm free to reach the CB. Dean pulled out his knife and made short work of his bonds.

"Alright," he growled as soon as Rosco was free. "You have some explaining to do."

"You can ask me anything you like," Rosco babbled. "As long as you save my little fat buddy from himself."

"Just tell us what happened," Luke jumped in.

"A couple of weeks ago, boss started to get real secretive like. I know what you are thinking Luke, but even though he lies to everyone else, he never keeps secrets from me. Sometimes he was normal, telling me to set up more speed traps and asking for help with his moneymaking schemes, but sometimes, when I brought him the money, he wouldn't even look at it, much less snatch it and count it. He would even open up the safe and let me put it in myself.

"Also, he would disappear for hours at a time and I could never figure out what he was doing. He has never cut me out of anything, unless it was the payout, but now he won't bring me along."

"But why this?" Luke asked. "What made him tie you up and leave you like this?"

"I don't even really know what happened. Lulu was worried and she had been nagging and carrying on about how I needed to help him. I finally went and confronted him. I asked him what was going on and then he just looked at me. I felt like the whole world had been frozen and then I found myself tied here and Boss was long gone. I remembered him saying something about how revenge was near and how Bo would finally serve some sort of purpose. I had to call you. You got to help him. He may be mean and ornery, but he's my friend and he's the best friend I've got."

Luke and Dean exchanged glances. "Do you think it is him?" Luke asked quietly.

"Is that really abnormal behaviour?"

"Like. . .brain transplant abnormal."

"Then I say hells yeah! Let's hunt us a demon!"

Rosco ran off like a scared chicken the moment Dean was no longer focused on him. They let him go.

"Look," Luke said. "You are going to have to take the reins on this. If this was just Boss Hogg, I would know where to go next, but this is bigger trouble than anything I have ever seen, and Bo and I tend to be in the middle of the trouble wherever we go."

"Hey, you are talking to a pro here. I will get your cousin back because he is with my brother and I always get my brother back." Dean looked at Luke with a confidence he did not feel and pulled out his most convincing grin. But as he turned away, doubts began to assail him. Sure, Luke was intelligent and strong, but the person he really needed to help him find Sam. . .was Sam.

They sat in the Impala for a short time, Dean thinking and Luke waiting.

"Does Boss own any property in the area?" Dean finally spoke.

"Only the entire town," Luke scoffed.

"Well, is there a place we can look up his property deeds? It might help us to narrow down the search."

"We could head on over to city hall and talk to Mary Ellen. She's sweet on Bo. She'll let us look at anything if we tell her he needs us to.:

"Lead on to city hall," Dean said.

As they roared on down the road, they didn't see the timid figure of Rosco finally getting up the courage to peek outside the door. He trembled as he glanced one way up the street and down the other, finally relaxing in relief when he saw the intimidating young man with Luke was gone. In his relief, he did not notice the whispering black cloud behind him. He screamed silently as it forced itself into his open mouth. His eyes flashed pitch black for a moment before, confidence regained and a self assured swagger in his step, he strode to his police car, smirking slightly in anticipation of the next part of the plan.

.~o()o~.

"Go on, ask me how it works!" Boss giggled gleefully. "This is my masterpiece, my life's work. I am dying to let you in on the secret."

"Go to hell," Sam snarled.

"That wasn't very nice," Boss pouted. "I bet Bo will ask me." He grasped Bo's leg right over the break and squeezed it cruelly.

This new pain, rather than breaking Bo further, seemed to unlock a strength he had buried deep within him. A trickle of fresh blood rolled down his chin from where he had bitten his lip, but there was no sound, just a bitter glare.

"You two are no fun, but I will explain anyway. One of the ingredients of this ritual is large amounts of fear. I fully expect the knowledge of your fate to drive you mad with terror. That is something I really am looking forward to watching."

Sam's shoulder was pulsing waves of agony through his body. He channelled the pain into his anger, sending a hate-filled glare at Boss Hogg.

Boss ignored him. "There is room for both of you on either side of the mechanism. Sam, you get that beautiful bamboo platform, built exactly to your weight specifications. It will hold you even if you struggle.

"Bo, I have a pretty necklace for you," he held up a thick rope with a noose on the end from where it hung by a single wooden chair. "You will sit on this chair and then stand on this chair and eventually be lifted into the air as the machine does its job. Yes, I know exactly how tall you are, and how you are going to be once we stretch your neck," Boss paused to take in the reactions of the two men before him, then shrugged when two stony faces looked back at him.

"Come now, we are just getting to the good part. I want to see the excitement on your faces. This is my favourite part. This wooden monstrosity that hangs above us is a water wheel. The water will be drawn up to the ceiling through this pipe at barely more than a trickle and it will begin to turn the water wheel oh-so-slowly. The water wheel will begin to wind up the rope which will lift Bo into the air. All the water will meanwhile be running into the large basin, also suspended by a rope."

"Exactly four minutes after Bo's feet leave the ground, at the very moment brain damage sets in, a weakened spot in the rope will meet the razor sharp axe blade sticking out of the wheel."

"The water-filled basin will be released, falling on top of Sam, upsetting the delicate balance of the platform on which he lies. He will crash through and land on several strategically placed spears, piercing his throat, heart and liver and simultaneously severing his brachial and femoral arteries."

Sam will die instantly and his soul, trapped by the blood and symbols, will follow the path laid out for it, straight to Bo's body, unable to fight the intrusion and without the defences that keep you from being our lackey, Sam Winchester." The name was said with a sneer.

"Sam's body will be dead. Bo's mind will be gone and all that will be left will be our little, blond, blue eyed puppet, dancing on our strings."

"You're a monster," Sam said grimly. "My brother and I kill monsters."

"Don't worry," Boss chuckled quietly. "I have plans for your brother too. I have to keep him busy while you die by inches over the next hour.

"You bastard," Bo finally found his voice. It was breathy and weak, but no less defiant for that. "You've underestimated me and Luke before. They will come for us."

"By all means, keep your silly hopes. The despair will weaken your defenses when you finally realize they aren't coming. I need you scared, alone and shattered."

"A good thought, but you are wrong," Sam spoke quietly but firmly. "They will come for us."


	8. Chapter 8

Boss released Sam's hands from the shackles. He collapsed as soon as there was nothing holding him up. He tried to catch himself, but his arms were unresponsive, on fire with pins and needles. He landed face first on the floor, scraping the end of his nose and his chin. Pain shot through him at the jolt and he couldn't help yelping a little as he landed.

Boss dragged him to his feet, no mean feat considering Sam dwarfed him by a good foot or more. Sam bunched his muscles and moved onto the balls of his feet, preparing for a desperate run, but Boss was too fast for him and he was arrested mid flight, unable to even twitch.

"Is that anyway to treat your new lord and master?" Boss mockingly pouted. "You should be pleased. At least your soul will live on, even if you're body won't. All things considered, it's a good deal."

Sam felt a crushing band tighten around his chest, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Coughing and choking, he nearly panicked, but as he felt black edges encroaching his vision, he was released. He immediately began sucking down great lungfulls of air.

"Are you gonna behave?" Boss whispered in his ear. A strange outside force caused him to nod his head, then the same compulsion overtook his limbs, forcing him to climb up to the bamboo platform and lay still on his back. Boss tied him tightly to the platform, first his ankles, then his wrists. When he came to Sam's dislocated limb, he pulled it cruelly to the bonding, making Sam writhe in agony as he struggled to keep his screams from escaping.

"Now for the final touch," Boss pulled out a wicked looking, serrated knife, gleaming like silver even in the barn. He set the tip of the knife to Sam's bare chest and began to carve. There were geometric patterns and great looping designs and with every cut, leaking blood across his tortured body, Sam lost himself a little more to the pain.

When he came back to himself, he was conscious of Bo shouting for Boss to leave him alone. "I'm ok. I'll be all right." Sam tried to calm him, but the words somehow got lost in his mouth and he knew he would need all his wits about him to find them again.

He turned his head to watch as Bo too was released and dragged over to the noose. He could not disguise the look of relief on his face when he finally sat down on the chair. The rope was fastened around his neck and his hands were tied to his belt loops to keep him from reaching and taking the noose off.

"And what is a cake without the icing?" Boss asked, pulling out a large container from the corner. Boss hefted it up and poured right over Sam's face and torso. Sam fought to keep from gagging as the warm, slimy, congealing mass of blood coated his body. Bo was given the same treatment before the container was empty.

"There, that should do it. Now we can let the water do the rest. I have an arrangement to make concerning poor Dean." With that, Boss opened a valve and the ominous sound of dripping water filled the room.

.~o()o~.

Half an hour had passed. Luke was frantically turning pages and Dean was furiously writing. Suddenly, Luke stopped.

"Hey Dean," he called.

"Whatcha got?" Dean was at his side instantly.

"Last week, Boss bought himself an old abandoned barn. It is about halfway between Hazzard and Chickamahonie. There are no farms nearby and the land has no value. If he bought it, it would just be to knock it down. Do you think?. . ."

"We've got nothing else. We will have to check it out." They grabbed everything and left, not even bothering to wave goodbye to Mary Ellen. Rosco stopped them just outside the door.

"I found out where Boss is keeping Bo and Sam. He's got them tied up in basement. You had better hurry. He plans to kill them soon."

Luke made as if to rush after Rosco, but Dean stopped him with a hand on his arm. Something didn't seem right.

"What?" Luke cried. "You heard him, we have to hurry."

"Just wait," Dean muttered then, looking squarely into Rosco's face, he uttered one word. "Christo."

Rosco's face changed, eyes turning to coal and lips twisting in a sneer. Dean pulled out his bottle of holy water and splashed rosco in the face. It sizzled and steamed and Rosco shrieked in pain.

"Run!" Dean shouted. They dashed to the Impala and Dean squealed awat from the curb, Rosco tailing them, sirens wailing.

"What's the quickest way to get to the barn?" Dean shouted to Luke, then started addressing his car. "I'm sorry baby," he muttered as he pushed her up over 140 and wrenched her around the turns Luke was shouting out.

There were several ways to get to the barn from Hazzard, but at every crucial point, they were met with a white car and flashing lights.

"Its never this hard to shake Rosco. He's driving like a man possessed." Luke spoke frantically.

"Really, jokes at a time like this?" Dean shot him a furious look as he cranked the wheel into yet another u-turn on gravel roads. "At this rate, we will never reach Sam."

"Wait, turn down here!" Luke shouted. If we jump the creek, I think we can make it."

"In my baby?" Dean yelped.

"It's an escape route that Rosco can't cut off in time and it's the only chance we've got."

For a moment, all Dean could see was the Impala, smoking and twisted, lying in the water, but he shoved it out of the way and replaced it with a picture of Sam's face, twisted in pain and calling out his name.

"I'm coming Sammy!" he yelled as the ground dropped out from under them. Dean swore his stomach tried to crawl out his mouth, but then they were back on solid ground, shaking and rattling as they hit with a solid THUMPPPPP!

Dean cast a glance behind him long enough to see the front end of the police car crumble as it took a nose dive into the ditch.

"Just go straight," Luke said, glancing over his shoulder. "He can't stop us now." And the Impala roared on in a cloud of dust.

In a matter of minutes, a ramshackle old barn began to take shape in the distance.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam was just plain uncomfortable. There was very little give in the ropes and the cuts on his chest burned like fury. He was spread out so far it was hard to breathe, much less fight his way free. The ropes on his wrists now ran freely with blood, but he was no closer to finding his way out.

Bo had not spoken a word since Boss had put the noose around his neck, but Sam admired his determination. He had somehow managed to clamber up onto the chair, broken leg notwithstanding. His legs trembled and shook, but he did not make a sound. For the first time, Sam was grateful they could not pass out. It would give them more time.

He begged Dean silently to hurry, not for the first time. Bo was now pushing himself up on the ball of his foot as the noose drew tighter and tighter. He was gasping slightly and his fingernails were starting to turn bluish.

Sam watched as Bo stretched up onto his toes, unable to fight the upward pull. Finally, his toe lost contact with the chair and, scrabbling for some sort of purchase as his full weight came onto his neck, Bo began to swing.

.~o()o~.

A man stood outside the barn. At any other time, Dean would have laughed at the short, fat man with the look of malice on his face, but he could not laugh at the bastard who had taken his brother.

"We have to be fast," Dean yelled to Luke as they drew closer to the barnyard. "Reach into the backseat and grab the big bag of salt. I will douse him in holy water and you pour a circle of salt around him. We can exorcize him once we have Bo and Sam back but right now, I don't want to take any chances. I trust my gut when it comes to Sam and I know we are running out of time. I will go in first, give me 15 seconds and follow me in."

Luke nodded and Dean cranked the wheel hard and brought the Impala to a stop in a huge cloud of dust. He was out of the car in a blink and had tossed nearly a gallon of holy water over Boss before the dust had a chance to settle.

Boss screamed and wailed as he sizzled. Luke was pouring the salt as fast as he could as Boss tried frantically to claw off the burning liquid.

Dean was through the door almost instantly. His blood ran cold at the sight that met him and he froze for a moment in indecision, wondering who to save first. Bo was cyanotic, his struggles were growing weaker and his eyes were rolling back into his head, but his big brother instinct was screaming, " SAVE SAM FIRST!"

Sam saw him pause and yelled hoarsely to him. "Dean, if you cut him down first, I'm dead."

It only took a glance to see that Sam was right and he lunged into action, knowing every second counted for Bo. He cut through the bonds on Sam's right side as Luke rushed into the barn. He saw his cousin hanging and ran to him.

"BO!" he cried.

"Wait!" Dean shouted as he began to work on the rope that fastened Sam's left arm to the platform, but Luke was past waiting. He leapt on the chair and slashed through the rope that held his cousin in the air Dean saw the basin of water begin to fall and knew he was out of time. Sam's leg was still tied and the rope was too thick to cut through it in time.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, communicating in the blink of an eye. Sam reached across his own chest with his right hand. Dean grasped it and pulled Sam over and off, left leg still tied, as the basin landed on the platform and brought it crashing down in a cascade of water. For a moment, Dean thought they had escaped unscathed, then Sam screamed, one of the spears thrust through his left thigh.

Bo lay still on the ground. Luke had removed the noose, but he still struggled to draw breath through his swollen throat. Waves of water were still floating through the door.

Sam gritted his teeth and looked up at his brother. "Let's get out of here," he whispered.

"First things first," Dean said. "I have a nasty son of a bitch to exorcize."

"Looking for me?" A voice called from the doorway. Boss Hogg stood there threateningly, Rosco behind him. "Salt's water soluble. The flood set me free."

Dean reached for his last bottle of holy water, but he wasn't quick enough. He and Luke were flung to opposite ends of the barn and pinned to the rotting walls.

"You were so close, but I can still finish my ritual. Sam just needs to finish bleeding out." With a cruel twist of his hand, he pulled the spear from Sam's leg and blood began pouring out.

Sam screamed once, but immediately weakened from the rapid blood loss.

"Sammy. NO! Don't give up!" Dean yelled.

From the floor, Bo moved his head and his eyes fluttered open. "Luke?" he rasped through his swollen throat.

"No!" Boss shouted. "You can't wake up yet." He transferred his attention to Bo and Bo started to gasp as if from some invisible force and for one crucial moment, his attention was not on Sam.

He saw his opportunity in the form of the bottle of holy water Dean had dropped earlier. He lunged for it and splashed it all over Boss and Rosco. They screamed in agony and both Luke and Dean dropped to the ground.

Dean had to fight the urge to run to his brother with everything in him, but he knew Boss could only be distracted for so long. He stood, reciting Latin from memory, Sam weakly reciting it alongside him.

Boss and Rosco opened their mouths and vomited forth a black cloud before they both dropped to their knees and, for the first time in a long time, there was quiet.

Bo was awake, his head cradled in Luke's lap. His grin, albeit pain filled was genuine in relief that it was over.

Dean knelt at Sam's side, hands drenched in blood, trying frantically to stem the flow from his thigh wound.

"Call an ambulance!" he yelled to Luke. Sam sucked in a frantic breath, trying to dispel the agony. He held it for a long moment, then exhaled, relaxing completely, his chest not rising again. Dean couldn't find a heartbeat.

"Damn it Sam, don't you dare do this to me." Dean yelled, waiting for a breath that didn't come.

"SAMMY!"


	10. Chapter 10

It seemed like hours as Dean laboured over Sam, trying to get his heart to beat, forcing air into his lungs. In reality, it was only about three minutes. Jesse had been worried and sent the ambulance after them the moment Luke had told them where they were going.

Dean was in a world where only he and Sam existed as he willed his brother to live. He fought to stay by his side when the paramedics arrived, but Luke grabbed him in his arms and pulled him away to where he could only watch, helpless.

Dean watched in anguish as his little brother's body arched under the paddles and others worked frantically to stop the bleeding. He gagged as they forced a tube down Sam's throat, getting him the oxygen he couldn't breathe in on his own.

Dean held his breath until they brought his brother back. Then there was a flurry of motion as they loaded Sam and Bo into the ambulance and rushed them away.

Dean followed with Luke in the Impala, keeping pace with the emergency vehicle.

The only time Dean wanted to believe in God was in situations like these. He wished he could be certain a higher power was watching over Sam and that he could rely on divine intervention to pull him through.

The image of Sam's lifeless body superimposed itself on the roadway and, instead of the comforting feel of the Impala's wheel, he felt torn, blood soaked flesh slowly growing cold and stiff. With every ragged breath he took, he was still kneeling at Sam's side, breathing for him.

"Dean," Luke's voice finally broke through to his consciousness. "Do you need me to drive."

"No,"| Dean replied. "I will get us there. I have to." He forced his attention to the road. If he got into an accident, he couldn't be there for Sam.

.~o()o~.

"Why do they always paint waiting rooms the ugliest colours?" Dean thought to himself, staring at the vomit-coloured wall as he tried to get comfortable in the hard plastic chair. He was alone. Luke, Daisy and Jesse had all been there, but the doctor had brought them to Bo's room at least an hour ago.

Bo's wounds had been stitched, his leg was set and the swelling in his throat was beginning to subside. He was awake and asking for his family Dean had watched as the Duke family got the news that Bo, although facing a long recovery, would be fine. Every minute since then, when he had heard no word on Sam, he became more apprehensive Four hours was a long time, even in a small country hospital, to hear absolutely nothing. The only comfort he had was that if Sam had died, they would have already come to tell him.

Dean wanted to pray, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about it, and he didn't think he deserved having anyone listening in.

He glanced up every time a nurse or a doctor walked into the waiting room. Sometimes news was good and families rejoiced. Sometimes it was bad and families wept and wailed. It was all the same to Dean. The news was never for him.

"Family of Sam Winchester?" a nurse spoke from the doorway. Dean was instantly on his feet.

"Sam's my brother," he said, crossing the room swiftly.

"I am very sorry, sir. . ."

The bottom dropped out of the world and time stood still. "Oh God, no!" Dean's mind was screaming. The guilt and sadness poured over him like a wave and he gasped at the sheer weight of it. Dean realized that the nurse was still speaking. Reluctantly, he forced his attention back to her words.

". . .mixup. Sam has been out of the OR for at least a half hour. The attending physician was called away to another case immediately after and neglected to inform me that he had not spoken to you. Sam is in a room in the ICU. He has been stabilized and I can take you to see him now.

The relief was nearly as crushing as the grief. "He's going to be ok?" Dean asked in a small voice, hardly daring to believe it.

"He lost a lot of blood and some of the earlier cuts were infected, but they have all been stitched and cleaned. He also has a concussion, so it will be a while before he regains consciousness, but we hold out every hope for his recovery. The wound in his thigh is the most serious. It did some muscle damage and it will take him some time and physical therapy to regain full strength, but your brother is young and strong. He is a very lucky young man."

In spite of knowing that Sam would live, he still felt his stomach lurch at his first sight of Sam. He was white and still, hooked up to a heart monitor and various IV lines and an oxygen mask over his face. Dean was grateful they had already removed the ventilator. If there was one sight that cut him to the core, it was Sammy with a tube down his throat, unable to breathe on his own.

"Thank God, Sammy," he spoke as he settled himself into yet another torturous plastic chair at the head of the bed. He picked up Sam's hand and held it in his. "It was pretty touch and go there for a while. No more taking on demons by yourself for a while, you hear me?" Dean continued on talking for hours, mostly inane babbling as he couldn't stand a silence until, as they often did only when Sam was unconscious, his words took on a note of truth.

"Sometimes I think about what's coming, about how much we don't know about your visions and the demon's purpose, and it frightens me. But you should know that you never frighten me, Sammy. You are still my little brother and I. . ." he glanced quickly into the hallway to see that no one was listening in and, bending close to Sam's ear, he whispered. ". . .love you."

About thirty seconds later, Sam moaned quietly and his eyelids opened up just enough to see Dean hovering over him.

"You're awake," Dean grinned.

"How could anyone sleep with all the chatter going on?" Sam grumbled slowly.

Dean instantly pulled back. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much," Sam smiled. "I did hear a certain interesting L-word. I thought it would take a little more than my near death to pull that one out of your lockbox of feelings."

"Shut up Sam," Dean growled, but he couldn't keep the grin from his face.

.~o()o~.

When Sam was finally released a week later, it was to the news that the richest man in town, Boss Hogg, had taken care of all their hospital bills as well as the bill for repairs to the Impala. Cooter met them in the hospital parking lot with his tow truck. Dean smiled as he saw his baby sparkle in the sunshine. His grin grew wider when he got behind the wheel and started her up. Dean normally didn't like anyone else working on his car, but this Cooter sure knew his stuff.

"Uncle Jesse wanted me to tell y'all that he wants to have a little get together at the farm for lunch as a thank you and farewell. He's expecting ya in about twenty minutes so you should probably just git on over there."

There were a few extra cars parked in the yard, most noticeably a police car and a big white convertible with horns on the front.

"Looks like we aren't their only guests," Sam commented as he pulled his crutches out of the car and balanced himself.

They walked in the door to find the Dukes, Boss, his wife Lulu and Rosco all waiting for them. Before long they were all settled down with bowls of Jesse's famous crawdad bisque and plates of Daisy's steaming apple pie. Dean was in heaven.

An hour later, with pleasantly full stomachs, the Winchester boys were ready to pull out and leave Hazzard behind.

"I wanted to thank you boys for what you did," Boss stood and spoke to the boys as they were getting ready to leave. "I don't remember everything, but I remember enough to know that you saved me from something awful." He shook both the boys hands and prepared to turn away. Lulu elbowed him in his side. "I also wanted to give you this as a token of my appreciation," he sighed and reluctantly handed over a thick envelope. Dean whistled as he opened it to find several hundred dollar bills.

Jesse hugged both boys and thanked them profusely for what they had done. Luke too shook their hands with barely concealed emotion. Bo nearly knocked Sam over with his enthusiastic hug, their crutches colliding tangling. He also shook Dean's hand.

Dean leered when Daisy came up to say goodbye. "You sure you don't want to come with us. You could bake me more pie," he winked at her.

"I wouldn't be coming for you, sugar." She shoved him playfully on the shoulder, then turned to Sam, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him down for a smouldering kiss. Sam blushed to the roots of his hair and pulled away, clearing his throat awkwardly. "If you come back this way, you look me up, y'hear?" she whispered for his ears only.

Then, goodbyes all said, the Winchesters got into the Impala and drove away.

"Hazzard isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," Dean said as they left the town in their dust. "But the big city life is calling my name. What do you think Sammy? Should we take alittle time off, do some bar hopping, hustle some easy pool and easier women?"

"Stop it Dean, we need to talk," Sam scowled.

"what could be more important than me getting laid?" Dean asked with a laugh.

"I am serious. There is something the demon told me that I didn't mention before."

Dean was instantly serious. "Sam, you had better not be holding out on me."

"Look, the demon said that, with my powers, there were many demons who wanted to own me, to control me, but he said it couldn't be done because of my natural defences. This whole big scheme was in an effort to gain control of me without losing my powers."

"Yeah, but so what? He failed."

"He said that my death would bring down those defences. Dean, my heart stopped beating for three minutes. I was dead. What if that was enough to short circuit my built in protections?"

"Look Sam, you defeated the demon. We won this round. You are not going to become a demon Halloween costume. I will not let it happen. You need to trust me."

Sam nodded, but doubts still assailed him. They lapsed into silence for the rest of the trip.

It wasn't even a day later that Sam went out to get some supper and never came back.

THE END


End file.
